The Pharr Press (Pharr, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 24, 1982 Page: 1 of 14
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Pharr Memorial Library
130 £. Caffary
Pharr, Texas
*51ARR MEMORIAL LIBRARY
PHARR, TEXAS 78577
\
Su periodico biijngue
the Pharr Press
20<p
Vol 50 No. 21
USPS429-660
June 24, 1982
787-2291
To leave for A&M July 6
Dalager gives views on Pharr
New plant completion is 1982
Need for water
conservation
in Pharr
“Of all of the problems the
Pharr Police Department works
with, the department has had
least affect on traffic problems,
Pharr Police Chief Patrick
Dalager said.
Dalager gave a special inter-
view to the PRESS. He announ-
ced his resignation Friday, in-
forming the public he will take a
job with Texas A&M in College
Station as Division Chief, Law
Enforcement and Security
Training Division.
Dalager said he was leaving
because of the increased salary
and for career advancement
reasons.
“I’ve enjoyed 18 months of
harmonious relationship with
the city manager, commission
and my police personnel,”
Dalager said.
“Just because I’m leaving,
won’t change Pharr Police
Department from being the best
in South Texas.”
Dalager said professionalism is
With May sales-tax revenues
in, it is apparent that Pharr and
most other Valley cities will fall
short of expected sales-tax
revenues.
Although Pharr is still 26 per-
cent ahead of last year’s overall
earnings.
This period’s payment was
$6,000 less than the same period
last year, with $70,000 returned
to Pharr this period, and
$76,000 returned in 1981.
The payment last month was
$192,000, only $2,000 above
1981’s payment.
The first three months of the
year had pushed Pharr’s
revenues about 35 percent
ahead of last year’s rate, but the
past months returns have
brought the growth rate down to
the key to a good PD. “The day of
the compadre is over, and I hope
panchanga politics goes soon,”
Dalager said.
Major Anacleto Martinez will
be acting police chief.
In listing the problems facing
Pharr from the police depar-
tment’s standpoint, Dalager ex-
plained traffic is a problem
because of lower priority and
because of bad drivers.
“All of us are bad drivers.”
He said it has been more im-
portant to respond to burglaries
and suspicious persons than to
crack down on traffic.
Secondly, Dalager said the am-
bulance service to the city needs
to be improved.
, “Our fire department’s rescue
service is outstanding,” Dalager
said. “However, the ambulance
service has been questionable.”
“The saving grace has been
our fire department. Their
response to emergencies has
been outstanding. ”
26 percent.
The 26 percent rate is still
second highest of among major
Valley cities, with only Mission’s,
38 percent higher than Pharr’s.
Pharr City Manager Reyes
Vela said if next month’s returns
are down the city will fall short
of its budgeted sales revenue.
“Next month is when the
bigger businesses turn in their
quarterly returns and if it is
down we are going to have to
evaluate our budget, and maybe
put a freeze on spending in some
areas,” Vela said.
Depending on the next month,
Vela said the city could be
$100,000 to $150,000 below the
budget for the year.
Revenues are ud in other
See SALES TAX, page 9
Dalager said there is a definite
need for the city to contact for
ambulance service or go into it
on its own.
Annexation of more city land
must also be considered a
problem, Dalager said. He said
the city and the PPD must plan
ahead of time as crime and traf-
fic will increase with increased
annexation.
One problem Dalager forsees
already, is the expansion of
banking service to include the
automatic teller service. He said
it is possible much of late-night
street crime will center around
the automatic bank tellers.
“I understand the need for the
automatic teller,” Dalager said,
“but bluntly, people will be rob-
bed.”
In viewing Pharr during the
next five years, Dalager said
sometime the police and fire
l
The Pharr Water Plant is working
at capacity during the summer
months. At times water consum-
ption in. Pharr exceeds the
Pharr Police Chief Dalager and
City Manager Reyes Vela during
Friday's announcement of
Dalagers resignation to accept a
job at A&M.
departments will have to be
combined under a Department
of Public Safety label. He said in
northern cities where the
economic crunch has been felt,
cities are combining resources
and saving money through the
DPS System;
“There is a police and fire sub-
station planned for South Pharr
already,” he said.
Dalager said auto theft will in-
capacity, but reserve wells and
water storage help out. A new ex-
pansion is planned, but won't be
complete until 1984. In the mean-
Pharr is facing voluntary
water conservation measures
this summer, but next summer
the need may be more serious.
Depending on the growth of
residential and commercial
developments in Pharr this year,
a serious need for water conser-
vation measures, some man-
datory, could occur in the sum-
mer of 1983.
City Engineer Larry Smith ex-
plained this to the city com-
mission several months back
when he was introducing infor-
mation on the need for water
plant expansion in Pharr.
The summer of 1982 is upon
Pharr, and both Smith and City
Planner Oscar Cuellar said
Pharr residents need to become
familiar with ways to voluntary
conserve water.
Presently Smith said Pharr is
close to using the 4.2 million
V/X'V/V-»V*
time, Pharr residents are urged to
conserve water.
gallons per day capacity of the
water treatment facilities.
Smith said city use will exceed
the 4.2 MGD during summer
months, but because of some
well water the city will get by.
However, Smith said the well
water was not as fresh tasting
as the plant treated water.
The city is planning a 4-million
gallon expansion but tit won’t be
ready until the Summer of 1984.
Cuellar, who helping coor-
dinate the water conservation
program for the city, said there
are hundreds of ways to conser-
ve on water.
As an example of how much
water is used in normal ac-
tivities and how much can be
saved:
-In taking a shower with the
water running, 25 gallons is
used. By wetting down, turning
off the water, soaping and then
rinsing off, only 4 gallons need
be used.
If the water is left running
while brushing teeth, up to 10
gallons can be used, yet if the
water is shut off except when
needed less than a gallon is
used.
In washing dishes with the tap
running, 30 gallons may be used.
If the sink is used, only 5 gallons
need be used.
In city handouts 11 simple
means of saving water are
listed:
-Check toilet for leaks; Take a
shorter shower; Install wafer-
saving shower heads; Take
baths- less water is used than
with a shower; Turn off the
water while burshing teeth and
while shaving; Check Faucets
and Pipes for leaks; Use
automatic dishwasher for full
loads only; Use washing
machine for full loads only; Keep
drinking water refrigerated
which puts a stop to the
wasteful practice of running tap
water to cool it for drinking;
Don’t leave water running to
rinse dishes- use a sink; Water
the lawn only when it needs it.
Each week during the summer
months, the PRESS will give
water saving tips for readers in
an effort to help city water users
voluntarily cut down of water
waste.
New Rivas Food Store opens in Pharr Tuesday
Pharr still at26 percent growth
Pharr, other Valley cities, to
fall short of expected
sales tax revenues
See DALAGER, paged
Fifty-three years ago, Magin
Rivas opened his first store in
Donna. Monday, June 22, Rivas
and his six sons opened their
eighth store, with another under
construction in McAllen and a
tenth on the drawing board.
The new Pharr Store is located
Rivas Food Stores held their
Grand Opening for their new Pharr
store off the Expressway and N.
281. Pictured are: Zack Barreiro,
Jennie Morehead, Don Westlake,
Al Beltran, Juan Garcia, Rivas
next to the TG&Y Store, at the
intersection of the Expressway
and N. Highway 281.
The Pharr store is the most
ambitious venture undertaken
by the Rivas family, having
23,000 sq. feet of floor space
and carrying a high quality line
Rivas, owners of Pharr store, Fer-
nando Rivas, Tony Garcia, State
Rep., Mario Rodiguez, Pharr City
Manager Reyes Vela, Miss Pharr
Minnie Lazo, Noemi Zamarripa,
and Francis, Leticia, Sonia Rivas,
daughters, Homero Avila and Lita
Avila.
of products.
Alonzo Rivas, operator of the
Pharr store, said there is essen-
tially no major difference bet-
ween the stores of the chain as
to what they sell. The larger
stores carry more variety of
products, Rivas said.
store manager, Commissioner Vic-
tor Garcia, Alonso Rivas, Jr., store
manager, Mario Rivas, Amy Rivas,
Armando Rivas, Lucy Rivas, Dr.
Homero Rivas, Magin Rivas,
father, Alonso Rivas and Maria
The new Rivas store in Pharr is
very attractive in its layout. The
vegetable section is off to one
corner with arches separating it
and hanging plants , by the ar-
ches.
The vegetable displays are
large and attractively arranged.
Alonzo Rivas, 46, one of the six
sons of Magin Rivas, is operator
of the Pharr store.
Five of the sons are in the
grocery business, and one is a
doctor.
Alonzo Rivas also acts as
general manager for the
business affairs of the Rivas
chain.
Alonzo Rivas has a wife and
five children, two sons and three
daughters. Most of his time is
taken up by the family business,
but what spare time he finds is
filled with his family, or with
fishing, his main hobby and out-
side interest.
Rivas said he is proud his
children can attend college at
There is ample space for
product display which imparts a
pleasurable feeling while shop-
ping.
As in all Rivas stores, there is a
nice section of spices and
authenic Mexican products for
the special need.
PAU. His own education, he
said, came from his father.
Rivas said he would let his
children choose their own
career.
“I would never force them into
the grocery business with me,”
he said. “I will let them follow
their own path.”
Alonzo Rivas credits his suc-
cess to his father, who trained
all six brothers in the grocery
business. Despite the troubled
economy, the stores continue to
expand throughout the Valley.
“Any man that wishes,” Rivas
said, ‘‘can start a business. And
if he works hard, and works long
hours, he can be successful even
today.”
This Week
Inside
Viewpoints, page 2
Rivas Grand Opening specials, paqe 3
HEB specials, page 4
10- 45 years ago, page 5
Horoscope, page 6
Sports, page 8: World Soccer Cup ex-
clusive
Cooking with Michelle, page 10
Legals, pages 12-14
The Pharr-San Juan-Alamo
American GI Forum will have a
PACHANGA at the Palmer
Pavilion, Hackberry and McColl
Road McAllen, August 22, 1982.
Paid members are cordially in-
vited. For more information con-
tact: Juan Colmenero at 787-
0848. Any Veteran or non-
veteran interested in becoming
a member is also invited .
(This is also a membership drive)
Disease report
Communicable Disease as
reported to Hidalgo County
Health Department week en-
ding: June 18, 1982;
Typhus - 1; Influenza & flu-like
illness - 8; Streptococcal sore
throat - 8; Chicken pox -1.
Mr. and Mrs. Juan Colmenero
are having a birthday party for
See THIS WEEK, page 9
Alonzo Rivas credits
success to his father
Upcoming Pages
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Nelson, Charles. The Pharr Press (Pharr, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 24, 1982, newspaper, June 24, 1982; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth866918/m1/1/?q=%22~1~1%22~1&rotate=90: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Pharr Memorial Library.